Researchers capture a ribozyme in motion for the first time

Researchers capture a ribozyme in motion for the first time

RNA is a central biological macromolecule, now widely harnessed in medicine and nanotechnology. Like proteins, RNA function often depends on its precise three-dimensional structure.

RNA in action: filming a ribozyme’s self-assembly

RNA is a central biological molecule, now widely harnessed in medicine and nanotechnology. Like proteins, RNA often gets its function from its three-dimensional structure. A recent study in Nature Communications has captured, for the first time, a ribozyme in motion — almost frame by frame. The researchers recorded how this tiny RNA machine folds, flexes, and assembles itself, revealing its intricate choreography in unprecedented detail. Using s…